Baffling means for locomotive fire-boxes



Oct. 4, 1932. H. B. OATLEY BARFLING MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIVE FIRE BOXES Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1932. B OATLEY 1,881,225

BAFFLING MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIVE FIRE BOXES Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets 2 Q \b v a INVENTOR Henr Oafley. BY

ATTORNEY Patented Get. 1932:-

HENRY B. OA'ILEY, or GREAT NECK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO THE SU P113..HEA 'IER COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

BAFFLING MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIVE FIRE-BOXES Application filed April 14,

The present invention aims to provide an improved baffling means for fire boxes of the locomotive type.

In order that the invention, together with further objects and advantages, may be clearly understood, I will describe in detail, in connection with the accompanying drawings, an illustrative embodiment of my invention, and will more particularly point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical trans verse section through a locomotive fire-box in which one form of my improvement has been incorporated, the view being taken from the rear of the locomotive; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 13 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 8-3 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

.It will be understood that the fire-box herein disclosed is, in general, of known form,

but will be described in some detail to make plain the combination between the fire-box and the novel features provided by myself.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 10 is a hollow foundation ring for a fire-box of the locomotive type. Ring 10 is square in plan and has a front transverse portion 10a and a rear transverse portion 10?). The fire-box chamber 12 above the ring 10 is bounded at its rear, sides and top by water tubes, the lower ends of which connect into the ring 10 and the upper ends of which connect directly or indirectly into longitudinal drums 14, 14 at the upper corners of the fire-box 12 and parallel to the longitudinal sides of ring 10.

Across the rear of the fire-box, except for the fire-door opening, there is a vertical wall formed of water tubes 16 connecting at their bottoms with the section 10?) and at their tops with a transverse horizontal header 18 which is connected in turn with the drums 14 by means of circulators 20, 20, which extend by tubes 22 and 24."

1930. Serial N0. 444,212.

the fire-box at the top and those of the other set being substantially straight. The tubes which cross the fire-box at the top are indicated at 22, 22. The lower ends of tubes 22 connect into the longitudinal runs of the ring 10 from which level they extend up on the same side of the fire-box as their lower ends nearly to one of the drums 14 atwhich point they bend sharply toward the horizontal and extend across the top of the fire-box ,to connect into the drum 14 on the opposite ends of the tubes 22 would interfere with each '70 other where they cross at the top of the firebox from opposite sides thereof. To make continuous walls on each side of the fire-box, the spaces between'the tubes 22 are preferably filled by water tubes 24, 24 which run substantially vertically between the ring 10 and the drums 14. Tubes 22 and tubes 24 are shown as of the bifurcated type, but this is a known form of tube and my invention is not limited thereto. When there is fire in the chamber 12, water and steam flow upwardly from the ring 10 to the drums 14 through tubes 22 and 24 and water flows down from drums 14 to ring 10 through suitable downcomers. As shown,'downc0m'ers 26, 26 are provided directly connecting drums 14 with ringlO on the outsides of the walls formed The fire-box 12jwi11 be understood to form part of a boiler having'a large central drum 28 shown in Figs. 1 and3 and a small lower drum 30 which is shown in Fig. ,3 ascbnncted with one of the drums 14. bywater tubes 32. The elements 28, 30 and 32, however, are merely parts of a typeof boiler forming no part of the present invention and'to which I do not'limit myself. It will be understood further that the fire-box previously described forms no part of my invention and; that I do not limit myself to details of the fire-box described.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the longitudinal runs of ring 10 are widened, adjacent the transverse portion 10a of the foundation ring, to provide shoulders 34, 34k into which are connected the lower ends of water tubes 36, 36 which are shown as running upward from ring 10 to a level about half way between the ring 10 and drums 1.4: at which point they bend sharply toward the horizontal and run substantially horizontally somewhat past the longitudinal mid plane of fire-box 12 and then they bend upwardly again and connect into the drum 14 on the opposite side of the fire-box from their lower ends. As there are two sets of tubes 36 one starting from each side of the fire-box 12, the lower ends of the tubes 36 at one side of the fire-box are staggered longitudinally with respect to those starting from the other side of the fire-box to permit the tubes 36 to cross each other on the central longitudinal plane of the locomotive, as shown in Figs. 1 and3. As shown in Fig. 3, moreover, tubes .36 are bent forwardly somewhat from the transverse planes through their lower ends so that the forward group of tubes 36 lies above the transverse section 10a of the foundation ring and forms the top attachment for a refractory bafiie' wall 38 which rests on transverse section 10a of ring 10 .-I'L

It will be seen that the structure formed by the tubes 36 does not provide a solid gas tight roof or baffle, but a screen dividing up the stream of gases which are forced to flow through the screen or over it because of the fire-brick wall 38 whichforms the front wall of the fire box 12 and extends up to the level of the crossing points of the tubes 36.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a roof plate 52 maybe employed, a fragment of said roof plate appearing in Fig. 3.

While I have disclosed in detail an embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that my invention isnot limited to details of the disclosure and that none of the appended claims is to be construed as so limited except by its express terms.

I claim:

1. A fire-box having a hollow foundation ring, means forming I longitudinal water cooled walls for the fire-box,transverse tubes arranged longitudinally of said fire box having their upper ends connected into said means at the diagonally opposite corners thereof from their lower ends, and arefractory baffle at the front of the fire-box resting on said ring and held in place by said tubes, said foundation ring having inwardly projecting shoulders near the forward end of said fire-box into which the diagonally S2. A. fire-box having a hollow foundation ring, means forming longitudinal water diagonally extending tubes, but terminating approximately at its point of contact with said tubes, whereby a portion of the gases generated in the fire-box are forced to travel upward between said diagonally extending tubes. v

3. A fire-box having a hollow foundation ring, means forming longitudinal water cooled walls for the fire-box, two sets of tubes having their lower ends connected into the foundation ring on opposite sides of the fireg box and each having the upper ends of its tubes connected into said means at the diagonally opposite upper corners of the fire-box from their lower ends, said sets of tubes crossing each other near the vertical and transverse centers of the fire-box, and a vertical refractory,baflie-supported on a transverse meinber'near the front end of the firebox and extending-upwardly substantially into contact with the under sides of the forward ones of said diagonal tubes whereby the tubes steady the-baffle and a portion of the gases are forced to pass upwardly through said diagonal tubes. a 1

HENRY B. OATLEY. 

